tl;dr Review:

 A fairly good book with an important perspective on the current US immigration debate.

Full Review:

At first, I was so excited to read this book upon reviewing the description:

The hilarious, poignant, and true story of one teen's experience growing up in America as an undocumented immigrant from the Middle East, perfect for fans of Mindy Kaling and Lena Dunham's books.

At thirteen, bright-eyed, straight-A student Sara Saedi uncovered a terrible family secret: she was breaking the law simply by living in the United States. Only two years old when her parents fled Iran, she didn't learn of her undocumented status until her older sister wanted to apply for an after-school job, but couldn't because she didn't have a Social Security number. Fear of deportation kept Sara up at night, but it didn't keep her from being a teenager. She desperately wanted a green card, along with clear skin, her own car, and a boyfriend.

Americanized follows Sara's progress toward getting her green card, but that's only a portion of her experiences as an Iranian-"American" teenager. From discovering that her parents secretly divorced to facilitate her mother's green card application to learning how to tame her unibrow, Sara pivots gracefully from the terrifying prospect that she might be kicked out of the country at any time to the almost-as-terrifying possibility that she might be the only one of her friends without a date to the prom. This moving, often hilarious story is for anyone who has ever shared either fear.

However, after finishing it, I've left torn.

Part of the reason that I really wanted to love it is that I'm a passionate advocate for immigrants and refugees.

However, there were parts of it that felt overly contrived and other parts that didn't feel like they contributed to the overall story.

Honestly, none of this really matters when it comes to a memoir because it's the author's own voice and thoughts about his or her life. I trust that Sara Saedi really felt what she described in her book. Yet some of the descriptions felt very "on" if you know what I mean. In the same way that people can be "on" when they are in front of certain authority figures or if there is a TV camera present, that's how these parts felt to me. 

Part of enjoying a memoir is that you get to creep into someone's head and live out their lives with them. But these "on" moments felt like you were a completely outside observer and that she was telling you what was going on versus you feeling it with her. 

I definitely appreciated the inclusion of the history on America's treatment of Iran and the Middle East, as well as the US foreign policy jabs towards the current administration (of which I couldn't agree with Sara more). So suffice it to say that this book wasn't a total fail. 

Like I said above - I overall enjoyed it and felt like it was a good read, but the moment's of being too "on" is what put me off.

If you're looking for a quick read that shares a teen's immigration journey complicated by US foreign policy in Iran, then you may enjoy this.

Overall, I give it 3.5 out of 5 thumbs up.

'The eighties weren't the most ideal time to be a Persian in America. With the hostage crisis still fresh in the country's minds, we were public enemies number one. The news footage of Iranians protesting in the streets, burning the American flag and screaming 'DEATH TO AMERICA', didn't really do much to bolster our image. And then came the Iran-Contra scandal, which was the vanilla ice cream on the poop pie. But my parents tried to teach us to ignore any negative perceptions of our homeland. We know the media didn't define our culture. What the news didn't sow was that we were a passionate people who loved art and music and poetry. A people who came up with any excuse to throw a party and danced with their hips and shoulders in full swing. And who, above all, put family before any thing'.

Americanized. Rebel Without a Green Card by Sara Saedi is a humorous, hilarious and honest memoir about life as illegal immigrants in the 1980s-1990s. Through stories that usually have a colourful language, she is sharing normal life story of any teenage - in America or elsewhere - except that her life was for a long while shadowed by the danger of being deported any time. Which didn't stop her from fully living the American dream, with all its dangerous excesses.

Although she left Iran at a very early age, the language, culture and history remained an important benchmark defining her identity, as in the case of many Persian expats in America. Her view on Iran and the sentimental relationship to the country is part of an identity which resists the test of political allegiances and stereotypes.

The ironic testimonies are in fact the best way in which serious struggles that almost all immigrant parents and their children cope with and therefore the book is an useful read to both children with an immigrant background and those in the country for over a generation. It helps to increase the tolerance and understanding of the everyday difficulties. 'Immigrant kids often feel like their parents will never understand what it's like to be a teenager in the States. They'll never fully comprehend what it's like to bounce back and forth between two worlds and two cultures without offending either side'.

Maybe the language will make it a bit difficult and non-recommended for a middle grader, but high-school kids are definitely a good audience for the book.


Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

This book was so good. I'm glad I got to read it as an arc. I didn't realize how anticipated this was until someone I follow on YouTube said they wanted to read it

This book did a good job opening up about what it's like to all of a sudden have something as huge as not being here legally without knowing. It shows a real impact on how people have to deal with these things and we just never know.

4.5 stars.
I adore this book. It's everything that I want in a memoir.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Overview: This book is a memoir about growing up as an illegal immigrant in the United States and the process of gaining a green card and ultimately citizenship. It is also about family and friends and being a teenager in the 90s.

Cons: At times I was a little distracted by the timeline of this book. For some reason, I expect memoirs to follow a chronological time line but the chapters in this one were based on a theme which occasionally jumped from age 13 to 16 and back to 14.

Additionally, there were several uses of Farsi words that were defined in the footnotes that came at the end of the chapter. While I love that they were explained, I would have found it more helpful to have that definition on the same page as the word. This format may not be a negative in a physical copy of the book, where you can easily flip pages, but in the ebook version it is not easily done.

Potentially offensive content: mild cussing, mild references of drug and alcohol use, mild references to sexual conduct

*Let me qualify this section of my review with a little explanation. While I am reading, I note things that would potentially be offensive for a middle school (6th-8th grade) child to read because I am always on the lookout for books that we can place in our school library.*

Pros: I was captivated by Sara's story from the very first couple of pages of this book. I enjoyed the humor that was present from the beginning of this book. I also enjoyed the nostalgia that I felt from reading about teenage Sara's experiences in the late 90's. I felt that the story was told in a way that really invoked compassion for her experiences as a teenager that was also considered illegal. Additionally, I enjoyed the detailed explanation of the immigration process from the point of view of someone that experienced it first hand.

Rating & Recommendation: As mentioned earlier, I have rated this book a 4.5 stars. I rounded up to a 5 star rating for Goodreads purposes. I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially if you are looking to learn a little more about the US immigration process. If you enjoy memoirs, this one will not disappoint.

See even more book reviews on my blog: http://www.lifeofafemalebibliophile.com/

Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card is a memoir that reads like a diary. The author talks to her readers in a casual tone and does a good job at explaining history points and her cultures traditions. There are footnotes placed throughout the book, for additional info about Iranian history, Persian culture, and more at the end of each chapter. It gives readers lots of background for those who might be unfamiliar with these topics.

The book has an easygoing tone for the most part while tackling heavy issues and sentimental stories of her family. Often Saedi includes lots of photos for context, giving the book that personal touch while connecting with her readers. A journal entry from her old diary precedes each new chapter as well as within the text. While relishing in her culture, she also pokes fun at stereotypes at it too. It gave the memoir a comedic aspect on top of the awkward, embarrassing stories of her youth. While I did like the tone of the narrative I felt the overall writing style was a bit lackadaisical which sometimes took away from the book. It reads like diary more than a memoir in the beginning, but this improves as the book goes on.

While I’ve read many fiction stories about immigration, this was my first non-fiction read. Reading the book through Sara’s eyes made everything feel real and more personal like when she talks about the sacrifices her parents made for her and her siblings:

“My focus on school was a side effect of battling stage-four ICGC, also known as immigrant child guilt complex. This is a chronic disorder that affects only children of immigrants, who experience a constant gnawing guilt for the multitude of sacrifices their parents made to bring them to the United States.”

It was touching to read all her stories and the evident love she has for family. I was especially touched by the close bonds with her siblings at which she makes a point in the later chapters to tell her readers to cherish them dearly. I also liked that she added commentary on relevant issues within her stories. Throughout the book she talks about immigration policy, DACA, and other issues happening within the government.

This book made me heavily reflect on immigration. I couldn’t imagine going through some of the things Sara explained. It also helped me learn more about how the system works and the process of becoming an US citizen. While it was an entertaining memoir, Sara’s story was also informative and eye-opening.

I thought this was an incredible memoir, one that had the ability to make me laugh and cry in the same chapter. Sara Saedi succeeded in showing how relatable her teen self was, even when dealing with the heavy topic of immigration. The constant, more so at the beginning, trying to appeal to teens by explaining 90’s things and be “relatable” and “hip” really took me out of the book. I think teens are pretty smart and can relate to this book without those references. That was the only bit that bothered me, but perhaps for its intended audience it wouldn’t be a big deal.

Americanized is the memoir of a young girl brought to the United States for safety and freedom when she was two years old, and her experiences growing up 'undocumented.' The trials of teenage years and her fear of being deported to a land she does not remember are honestly and humorously expressed. An addictive read, fun and serious at the same time.

Recommended.

<b>Now I have no idea if anyone else does this,</b> but whenever I’m reading an amazing book, I daydream about what I’m going to say in my review. I daydream about quotes I’m going to put in, the jokes that will totally wow all my friends and followers, and what books I will slyly promo at the end in my recommendations section (why? Because I’m a giant nerd).

<b>This was so close to being one of those books.</b>

In fact, it was one of those awesome, daydream-worthy books at first, and I was so happy about it, but after the first thirty percent there was a huge drop in quality. At the beginning, I was looking at all the reviews that gave this a mediocre rating and thinking “wtf are they thinking?? this is so good?” and now here I am, one of them. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The worst part is, there were <b>so many good aspects</b> that <b>it makes me frustrated that the poor aspects eventually won and got me to DNF</b>. So lame.

The writing style was very nonfiction-y and easy to follow, and a lot of the humor was clever and made me laugh (but some of it?? we’ll get to that later). I wish so bad that I was allowed to put quotes from the book in my review before the release date, because I was highlighting <b>so many jokes</b> that some pages were literally 100% marked. They well-portrayed the struggles of a middle-schooler and high-schooler, along with all the drama that happens during those years.

Another thing I really enjoyed was the <b>family dynamic</b> between Sara, her siblings, and her parents. Her family all has such a loving and open relationship with each other, and they all love and trust one another to such an extent that I was just sitting there like <blockquote> <img src="http://2static3.fjcdn.com/comments/6091122+_d28fcaa61189bb879e696984ee5a9792.jpg" width="400" height="130" alt="description"/></blockquote> Her parents are the type of parent I want to be one day, and even her extended family all stood out to me as loving.

This book also threw some <b>major shade</b> towards America’s treatment and involvement in Iran and the Middle East, as well as towards the Trump administration and honestly I would have been happy if the entire book was the author telling us about Iran’s history. It would have been five stars, easily. <blockquote> <img src="https://media1.tenor.com/images/f837750a87baeff88a782625c2e278f4/tenor.gif?itemid=4990176" width="400" height="200" alt="description"/></blockquote> However, some of the stuff it says about present-day America could cause for the book to become <b>very dated very fast</b>, which might be something to watch out for.

A part that was kind of annoying for me was the <b>way the book was set up</b>. The novel would oftentimes get near to Sara’s adulthood, but then would jump back to sixth or seventh and talk about a different part of her life. This is something that a lot of memoirs do, and it never really works for me, but I know it’s fine for most readers and so I dealt with it.

However, what stood out to me, and eventually made me DNF about halfway through, was the anti-East Asian and anti-black racism.

(Disclaimer before I go into it: I’m white. All my thoughts are coming from a white perspective. I haven’t seen any OwnVoices reviews from either of those demographics, but once some start appearing I will link them in my review.)

When I first started the book I thought that casual racism, which is so prevalent in a lot of memoirs today (usually in the form of “comedy”), wouldn’t be an issue because the memoir is about a POC, but nope. I highlighted a few passages, but there were three that stood out to me that made me especially uncomfortable.

In one, Sara is mourning about her Iranian nose, and lamenting about how Persian girls at her high school never get boyfriends. The narration then proceeds to note that one minority that was a “desirable exotic race” was Asians. That’s gross. A) over a billion people live in East Asia, B) even if East Asia was a world minority, calling them “exotic” is <b>fetish-y and racist</b>. Not today, Satan.

This book does an awesome job at addressing and taking down stereotypes against Middle-Eastern parents and Iranian men, but,,, it uses a stereotype towards East Asian parents in a joke that isn’t challenged (since I can’t include quotes in my review, for other readers who are wondering where it was, it’s the comment in Chapter 7 at location 1172 in the NetGalley Kindle version). And honestly I am just so tired of memoirs including “laid-back” racism that I was like nah,,, I’m done.

The anti-black racism that occurred was when the N-word is used (albeit in a quote – still not okay though) and it isn’t censored. It should either be censored, or the book just <b>shouldn’t use the quote at all</b>, especially since the quote used is meant to empower black women and Sara <b>isn’t black.</b>

To conclude, if a few things were changed before the finished copy is published, this would be such a warm-hearted and wonderful memoir that I would cherish forever alongside <b>literally the only other comedy memoir I like</b>, [book:Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?|10335308]. Instead, it’s being added to my ever-growing shelf of memoirs that are supposed to be funny but rely on offensiveness to do so. Boo.

Poignant and relevant, this is an accessible and timely title.

I love memoirs. I especially love memoirs by people of color because the struggles are more relatable (to me) and while I may not understand everything that they go through but there is usually some common ground. I have read other books in this age group and in the beginning of the book this authors voice seems more intended for adults rather than young adults. It can be abrasive at times (and super judgmental of anything different from what she liked or believed). However, there were times when it appeared to soften and I enjoyed that much more. It made me want to continue to read and hear about her life (which wasn't the case when I feel like I'm being sternly spoken to--that is generally met with a sigh or an eye roll or maybe an expletive).

I love that she loves where she was born and defensive of it but on that same note there seemed to be a lot of bashing of America. While the US is by no means a pillar of the world as far as race relations go (nor has ever been--at any point in the entire history of the US it is a major systemic problem), it makes me as a reader defensive because I was born here (and no that isn't a shot at the author, she is just as much as an American) but the same way that she felt the need to defend Iran because it was where she was born, against people who feel a certain way about it (which I completely agree makes them ignorant and racist)--it invokes the same feeling in me about the US. I don't like the low blows, at times that is what it felt like and it was not appreciated. You don't have to be a fan of the US 110% of the time or even 10% of the time (America does need to do better and to be better to truly represent everyone that is an American regardless of color or religion or status)  but the almost constant disparaging remarks about the US in the first few chapters was a little much. It's not cool when Americans bash other countries or cultures or religions but it makes you no better than those who are bashing Iran, China, Nigeria, or Mexico if you are doing the same to America. It's hypocritical.

I didn't like that everything white was considered American or All-American. Fair-skinned, blonde people were referenced as American but Asians were an exotic race. I get that that is how many white people view everyone else but their ignorance doesn't make it ok. Let people be uncomfortable with America being anything other than what is considered normal by western beauty standards. It's not that easy to define regardless of what societal norms (try) to dictate. White does not mean American. European ancestry does not mean American. Just because people associate those with America or have been told to associate those ideologies with America and Americans does not make it so. I'm not white but I am American. There were also alot of generalizations and stereotyping about Americans in the book (some houses already come with a bidet and if they don't you can purchase them at the store they aren't contraband, i've never in my entire life nor anyone that I know black/white/hispanic eats dinner with milk maybe her friends were just weird, and not all American children talk back to their parents--my mother wasn't having any of that nor did I have any desire to do so, i had sense, but i think minorities in general are not used to seeing kids talk back to parents). I bring that up because she mentions stereotyping against Iranians and immigrants (both legal and undocumented) but is guilty of it herself against others (very much holier than thou--her, at times, sanctimonious attitude was off-putting but to her credit the entire book did not feel that way or I wouldn't have bothered finishing it).

I did love the authors humor, witty and self-deprecating. I can't pretend to understand the difficulty (or stress) of trying to figure out adolescence and where you belong while being in fear of deportation. It didn't seem fair (and yes I understand there are laws but especially in the case of children who can't control what their parents do. Children should never have to live with that fear--you can't kick a child seven or seventeen out of a country that is all they have known or remember or those who came as children but are adults now, it wasn't something that they chose don't penalize them nor people in fear for their lives).  I liked reading about her angst filled teenage years (most can relate--I'm a few years younger but reading about her experiences were like reminiscing about my own). I particularly enjoyed her writing about her family. The love she has for her family and that they have for her was evident in the way she spoke about them. Her parents wanting a better life for their children. Her protective and fun older sister. Her caring grandmother. Her sweet younger brother. Her loving extended family. I enjoyed glimpses into their lives. I didn't like reading about DACA, DAPA, and the 2016 election, not because I was offended--I wasn't, mainly because it's a bad hand dealt to a country built on the backs of multiple races and it's depressing. Although the messages conveyed to readers facing similar experiences in difficult times were ones of hope and that not all was lost. I liked that she considers herself a spork, being able to love and embrace all parts of her. Ms. Saedi is a talented writer. I would read other books written by her. 

It's a good overall read.

I received an arc of this book from Netgalley.

Informative and very engaging!

An interesting and surprisingly humorous read, Sara Saedi's memoir tells of her family's immigration to the United States to escape the instability and Islamic fundamentalism of Iran and the difficulties growing up undocumented as they navigated the long and difficult path to legal residency and citizenship.

Her memoir begins with a brief history of modern Iran in order to give context to her family's choice to emigrate, and is full of entertaining and touching stories of her extended family and their histories, Iranian-American culture, and the trials and tribulations of navigating the difficult and drama-filled teen years with the added stress and pressures of being undocumented. We learn about arranged marriages, family scandals, surprisingly different religious beliefs, and see Sara endure typical teen problems like acne, unrequited crushes, body image, and first loves, all the while supported by a close and loving family.

At first I was afraid this was going to be a dark and depressing story, but Sara's self-deprecating humor and wit made the story both entertaining and relatable, while still getting her point across. I appreciated the information on the history of Iran, as well as her advice to other undocumented immigrants and discussion of current immigration issues. Her description of her family's beliefs, values, and parenting style clearly illustrates how wrong stereotypes and assumptions about people based on one element (in this case country of origin) can be. I felt it might have been just a little bit long, as I felt my interest starting to waiver about 2/3 of the way through, but overall I found it well-written and more engaging that other memoirs I've read.

I would recommend this for ages 15 & up, primarily due to descriptions of drug and alcohol use by teens and mentions of sex (non-graphic). This would be equally as appealing to adults, particularly those who grew up around the same time as the author.

A memoir that feels like it could be written by the girl next door. At times painfully ordinary, but I believe that was by design. The author is your typical teenage girl, worried about fashion, friends, and sibling rivalry. I could almost hear the gum popping and upward inflection while reading (perhaps she reminds me of some of my "ordinary" students). What sets this family apart is the fact that they have overstayed their visit to America by about a decade. They are working through the appropriate legal channels, finding them time consuming, cumbersome, and frustrating. Told from a very personal point of view, this story follows the typical teenage challenges as they occur alongside the long journey to a green card. I appreciate the historical context on why her family had to leave Iran, and the frustrations she feels toward the typical American view of Iran and its people. Recommend this for middle school to adult readers.

Note: I received this from netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

Saedi does a good job of balancing memories of her life as a normal teenager with the practical details of living without papers--so many of the things that kids do together are risky for undocumented kids, for whom underage drinking or possession of small amounts of marijuana could mean being deported to a country whose language they might not speak and where they might not have been since they were babies. The tone is a bit more aimed toward people with documents who don't understand the complexity of the process of getting papers and citizenship, but undocumented teens might also find Saedi's story relatable.

Sara takes portions of her actual diary and then fleshes them out over the chapters to narrate her life in the 90's as an illegal Iranian immigrant. Her story of being a first-generation American with parents who worked tirelessly to keep up with their new American lifestyle will appeal to teens who like the show My So-Called Life or who may even have parents or older sibs who grew up at that time. I loved all of the nonfiction info about Iran that helped to defeat some stereotypes. 

I didn't like the regular teen angst parts, but- I think for sheltered teens it is important to note that all cultures go through awkward angry times and that in that way as so many others we humans are all alike. The back story of each of her grandparents was interesting, as was her struggle to get a green card. I know from my in-law's experience that getting a green card has never been "easy".

Verdict- Borrow

This book started off as a merger of Judy Blume meets Steve Sheinkin. I was really liking the history lesson and middle-school angst. While I wanted to enjoy this book, I sadly found myself skimming chunks of it. Sara’s voice was so strong that I felt she was nearly screaming at me as I read the book. The content and level would have been perfect for middle schoolers but she pushed the envelope just a bit too much with the cursing, drugs, sex, etc. I wasn’t quite sure of the reasoning behind this - to show how vulgar Americans can be, to validate Iranians, or maybe it is just her voice. I will still purchase it, but it could have been edited better.

I wanted to like this more. It dragged on and wasn't that interesting. Liked the premise, but just wasn't a good read for me.

A light memoir on the heavy topic of growing up undocumented in America. The author discusses her family and their long road to legal status. Written for the YA crowd, it is a good read for anyone looking to learn more from a first hand perspective.